Gaining weight & becoming obese? Your gut microbiome is the culprit

Around 39% of the global population are classified as overweight, almost doubled since 1975. Until recently, people have become concerned about gaining weight & becoming obese & have been resorting to concept of quantified nutrition, calorie deficit & strength/weight training as manage their weight. Although this model has had temporary success with a lot of people losing weight & becoming fit, it is unsustainable. The focus has not been on root cause but conditions associated with it. 

Given that our body is home to trillions of bacterias living inside our gut, these guests are the ones who are calling all the shots & play a pivotal role in deciding whether your body gets nutrients or toxins. Depending upon gut microbiome composition, the same food may provide beneficial molecules, nutrients & short chain fatty acids for one person & may release lipopolysaccharides(LPS) & putrescine( both are toxins) for another. Diet fads such as high protein, ketosis or quantified nutrition( calorie deficit) will not work in achieving your weight loss & fitness goals.

It turns out that the energy balance equation is not the only reason for weight gain or obesity. There are other conditions which can also lead to weight gain & obesity. For instance, conditions such as acid reflux & gut dysbiosis can also lead to weight gain. 

It is very shocking but true that having a high protein diet & Ketosis, which actually is propagated by various weight loss companies( & even trainers & gyms), can actually result in release of ammonia gas & sulphide gas production through fermentation of protein by bacteria in large intestine, thereby increasing your susceptibility of cardiovascular diseases, Irritable bowel syndrome & even obesity.

So if these fad solutions do not work what will? 

GUT MICROBIOME DIVERSITY

A diverse community of microbes in your gut means that your body houses all sorts of bacterias, each performing a specific role. The work gets divided among right microbes, leading to increased energy production & quick metabolism. In other words, the more diverse our gut bacteria is, the higher is the energy burn & more int inhibits fat formation. The more the bad bacteria, the higher is the fat storage.  The best way to increase the existence of good bacteria is to have a diet  rich in resistant starch, fibre, prebiotic, polyphenols & probiotics. However what food items should be part of your diet will depend upon your gut microbiome composition. For instance, Spinach may be good for your colleague but may lead to inflammation for you. Similarly, your body may treat banana as banana and metabolise it accordingly however banana may be treated as high sugar dessert by your friend’s gut & may lead to high sugar( How quickly your food is broken down into sugar depends upon glycemic response not glycemic index).

In a recent research, scientists have found that gut microbiota can play a major role in shaping your body & keeping weight gain/obesity at bay.

There are different ways in which your gut microbiome can influence whether you are far or thin:

1. Inflammation: Low grade inflammation can result in obesity. If you are not feeding your gut with what they need, it will be releasing harmful products such as ammonia gas, sulphide gas, uric acid, methane gas & lipopolysaccharides(LPS) which can enter the bloodstream & lead to inflammatory responses. This can lead to increased fat storage & reduced fat export.
2. Butyrate Production: Increase in production /release of butyrate by your gut bacteria is driven by prebiotic rich diet. It makes you feel full & keeps the occurrence of obesity at bay. Therefore focus on increasing production of butyrate( an important short chain fatty acid) will make sure that you do not crave for food( hence you do not need to do forceful calorie deficit).
3. Gut-brain connection: Your microbes communicate with your brain & influence release of ghrelin, leptin, and other hormones responsible for normal hunger responses.Your gut microbiome can also make your feel more hungry if you don’t have enough butyrate. 

Your gut microbiome plays a key role in regulating inflammation, immune system, metabolism & satiety level. The best way to manage your weight gain & overcome obesity is to learn about your gut microbiome & what food items can improve your gut diversity & increase butyrate production. Want to make your gut microbiome work to help you overcome risk of obesity? Sign up for our free discovery call here.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5082693/